Take your social media strategy to the next level, starting NOW!

If you have a social media strategy in place, but you know you could get better results with a little help and direction, this post is for you.

If you don’t have a social media strategy in place right now, then this article is a must-read for you! So I’m glad that you’re here!

It’s all fun and games on social media, until you realize you’re spending a ton of your time online, with nothing to really show for it. This is why you need to have a social media strategy, and not just any strategy. You need a strategy that is focused on getting measurable results for your brand, and that ties into your business and financial goals.

Let’s dive right in!

How To Dramatically Improve Your Social Media Strategy In 10 Simple Steps

1. Get more specific about your target audience.Every successful business owner, and experienced marketer will tell you that you need to speak to an audience of one, even on social media. Having a customer avatar, or customer profile in mind, is crucial to how you create posts to share on social media, and also, what hashtags you choose to use. If you’re too general, your ideal customer will overlook your message, because it doesn’t speak to them specifically. Remember, everyone is not your target audience. The more specific you can be, the more effective your social media strategy will be.

2. Create a high-value lead magnet.Not only do people love free stuff, but nowadays, we’ve come to expect to get something for free, before we even make a purchase. As you focus on getting your fans and followers from social media, onto your e-mail list, come up with a really fantastic, free, incentive for signing up. What your free lead magnet should be, will differ, depending on your industry, products, and services. But whatever you do, make it GOOD!! Make it so irresistible, that people are excited to give you their e-mail address, so they can get immediate access to this amazing, FREE bonus!

3. Promote your free lead magnet, EVERYWHERE!!Your free, lead magnet should be in a prominent place on your website, and one of the first things people see when they visit your website. But, what if people are not on your website? How will they know about your amazing free gift to your new e-mail subscribers? You have to promote it! Don’t be shy! When you’re offering something of value to people, that you know will benefit them in a big way, you should never feel uncomfortable about sharing and promoting it. Create a unique link to your website, where your fans and followers can access the gift, and post it on all of your social media accounts. That way, you can track how many clicks you’re getting on that specific link, and be able to evaluate the effectiveness of this campaign. On Instagram, be sure to put this link as the one, clickable link on your profile.

4. Recognize your weaknesses and where you need help.In some cases, you may already know where you are struggling on social media and why. In other cases, you may feel like you’re doing all the right things, but still not getting the results you want. That’s when it’s time to take a step back, and evaluate where there may be holes in your strategy, that are slowing you down.

This is a good place to start to find out where your weaknesses lie. Then, you can take the proper steps to focus on improving and getting stronger in those specific areas.

5. Invest in professional help. When it comes to social media, there’s only so much that you can do on your own. At some point you’re going to need to connect with someone who’s more knowledgeable than you, in order to grow your online brand and business, through social media marketing. The longer you wait to do this, the longer it will be before you start seeing the kind of results you desire through your social media presence. Make the investment to get help from a social media professional, and expand your knowledge and strategy as soon as possible. Time is money.

6. Create a Strategy. Having a strategy in place means that you have a set goal (gaining more customers or clients, increasing your e-mail subscribers, increasing the attendees at your events, etc.), then you create a list of action items you need to do, every day, in order to make that goal happen. What marketers refer to as a “Sales Funnel”, is the process by which you take a new customer from being a “cold lead”, meaning, someone who’s never heard of you or your business, to becoming an actual paying customer for your business. Using social media, it usually goes from a social media post (or ad), to a free offer to join your e-mail list, then from your free lead magnet (free offer/incentive for joining your list), to your website, to a purchase. But there has to be lots of added value for the potential client or customer throughout that entire process.

7. Add value. Become a master at helping people, offering solutions, and lifting people up. There’s a reason why motivational quotes perform so well on social media, across the board. You can’t just get active on social media when you have something to promote. You have to be sharing valuable, helpful and motivational content every day. You have to give, and you have to serve. Stop tagging people on Facebook all willy nilly. Stop being lazy, and trying to take the easy way out. Stop adding people to groups without their permission. ADD VALUE & EARN PEOPLE’S ATTENTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA. What you earn, you keep. Put in the work. Stop looking for shortcuts!

8. Upgrade your visual content. You have to post quality visual content on social media if you want people to engage with your content. It needs to be clear, eye-catching, vibrant, have a message that people can relate to, or that sparks curiosity, etc. You can’t post low-quality images, and expect people to take your brand seriously. But you don’t necessarily need to invest a ton of money in order to do this. My favorite tool to create visual content for social media, from my computer, is Canva. It’s a free tool that you can use to create professional-level, branded images. If you decide you want to use one of their pre-designed templates, or stock photos, it’s only $1 per/image. You can’t beat that! Another idea is to do one photo shoot with a professional photographer, and get tons of photos that you can use, and re-purpose for social media.

9. Be consistent.Create a social media content calendar. Create your visual content in bulk, in advance. Schedule your content in advance, to keep your brand’s pages and profiles populated and active though out the day and evening. Share and be active even when you don’t have anything to promote. And when you do have something to promote, remember the 80/20 principle. Share, give, and add value 80% of the time, and promote your product, service, classes, or event, 20% of the time.

10. Have a clear brand message. Make sure everything you post online has a purpose, and ties into, and represents your brand in the best way possible. Add a watermark, or your social media handle, and website to your photos and videos, so that people recognize it as original content that your brand created. Use a consistent color scheme in your images, that tie into the visuals on your website, so that there’s a cohesive look, all around.

BONUS TIP!

Engage! You have to engage with your fans and followers online if you ever hope to be able to convert them into paying customers. Building trust and relationships with your target audience online can only happen through daily engagement. Comment on other people’s photos and posts, in your target market, and always reply to all of the comments you receive on your social accounts too. Don’t miss out on this key step to success and optimal results on social media.

Remember, help people, and offer solutions to your audience, through social media. People like it when you’re helpful and relatable. That likeability factor can be what determines whether someone chooses your brand over another person, or company.

Growing a successful brand or business through social media marketing is simple, but not easy. If it were easy, everyone on social media would be a millionaire. Don’t look for shortcuts. Put in the time, effort, and investment required to build a successful business or personal brand through social media, and you will get the results you want.

Where do you struggle the most when it comes to social media? Let me know where you need help in the comments below, and I’ll be glad to offer you some advice to help relieve your frustrations, and get you moving in the right direction.

If you found this blog post helpful, and you feel like you need some personalized, one-on-one help with your social media presence and strategy, my 48-Hour Social Media Audit is exactly what you need! Get yours right HERE!

Ashani Mfuko is a Social Media Marketing Strategist, Online Video Marketing Specialist, Award-Winning Blogger, and Professional Dancer. Ashani empowers dance professionals, and business owners to build profitable brands, and shine online using videos. She works with small businesses, large corporations, dance companies, dance studios, artists, &creative entrepreneurs, as a Social Media Strategist and Video Marketing Specialist.

Ashani creates results-driven, innovative social media and video marketing strategies that are proven to increase your revenue and catapult your brand to expert status in your niche! She has an extensive track record of creating and implementing successful social media strategies for her clients.

Ashani was also the Host and Executive Producer of the “Inside New York City Dance” television show on MNN, and is a proud wife and mom of 2 beautiful girls, with a third baby on the way (June 2017).

Ashani has been featured on the “Arise & Shine Weekend Morning Show” as a social media expert, in Dance Magazine, as a “Media Maven”, as well as in Dance Mogul magazine, Inside Woman magazine, & Dance Studio Life magazine, in addition to various television shows, and dance blogs online. She is the author and creator of the, “Finance Your Dance: How To Turn Your Passion Into Profit“ e-book and workshop, “The Dancer’s Guide To Instagram” E-Guide (2016), and "The SHINE Collective" Facebook group, providing free online video marketing and mastery training classes and resources for artists, entrepreneurs, and business owners.

Her dance blog won the Reader’s Choice, “Top Dance Business Blog” of the year award, two years in a row. She is a leader in the field of social media, and online video marketing, and is highly sought after as a performer, dance teacher, and dance marketing specialist in New York City, and worldwide.